spathe

American  

[spayth] / speɪð /

noun

Botany.

1. a bract or pair of bracts, often large and colored, subtending or enclosing a spadix or flower cluster.

---

spathe British  

/ speɪð /

noun

1. a large bract, often coloured, that surrounds the inflorescence of aroid plants and palms

---

spathe Scientific  

/ spāth /

1. A large, leaflike, often showy bract that encloses a flower cluster or spadix, as in the jack-in-the-pulpit or calla lily.

---

Other Word Forms

• spathaceous
  adjective
• spathed
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of spathe

1775–85; < Latin spatha < Greek spáthē blade, sword, stem; cf. spade ²

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spathe

The pod-like leaf called a spathe is slightly rounder and paler than the darker, flatter blades of seagrass.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The real show starts when the enormous outer layer called a spathe opens up, revealing a deep reddish interior.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Its hoodlike structure is called a spathe, which envelopes a bulb-shaped structure called the spadix, a fleshy knob dotted by dozens of tiny, petal-less yellow flowers.

From Salon ● May 27, 2025

The tiny white flowers within the spathe are an important food source for the first pollinators of the year.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2022

The stem is about 18 in. long, and the spathe single-flowered.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• covering

---